Acetylene-gas generator.



PATBNTED MAY 24,1904@ "A Pi G'. AVERY.

ACETYLENB GAS GENERATOR. APPLICATION FILED M1045. 1900. RENBWED APR. 2, 1904.

N0V MODEL.

l'i y UNIT-FJD vSTATES Patented r/rayegleoal PATENT Oiuucn.A

PERcYlo. AVERY', oF CHICAGO, ILLINois.

ACETYL'ENE-GAS GENERATOR. I

SPECIFICATION forming part of `Letters Patent' No. 760,723, dated May 24, 1904 Application filed December 15, 1900. Renewed April2-,r`1904. Serial No..201,292. (No model.) l

"To @ZZ whom t may concern:

Be it known that I, PERGY C. AvnRY, a citif zen of the United' States, residing at Chicago,

'in the county of Cook and State of Illinois',

- v5 -have'invented certain new and useful Improvements in Apparatusk for Generating Gas, of which'the following is a specication. rIhe present invention relates to that class of apparatuses in which the ga's is generated by 'I0 the bringing together of a solid and a liquid v gas-producing substance-as, for example, the

generation of acetylene by the bringing to-:

'gether of metallic carbid andfwater.

The principal object of the invention'isto provide an apparatus having improved 'means forinsurmg the uniformity of the pressure of 'the' gas generated without regard to the quan- "tity being generated, *I lA'further object of the invention is to 'pro- 2O videfim'proved meanswhereby the` apparatus may 'beadjusted sothat the vpressure may be regulated in the first instance, the apparatus y v.being so constructed that it thereafterfoper- 'ates 'automatically' and Without producing any 2`5 material variation inthe pressu're.

The invention consists in the features of noveltythat are' hereinafter described, and in or- 1 'der that it may be fully understood I will de-f scribe it with reference to the'accomp'anying in whichdrawings, which are made a part hereof, and

ratusfembodying the invention in yits preferred der a slight modification. 4 isa horizon- .tal section thereof.

stance, which may be of any desired capacity,

regard being had forthe generating capacity of the apparatus. It is preferably in the form of a cylindrical tankopen at the top, so as to maintain vits interior at atmospheric pressure.

B is a receptacle, hereinafter called the gas-producing substance up to the full capacity of the apparatus and whichin practice does 'able bodily with relation to the water-'receptacle. It has` a top which is, closed save for a i -being preferably provided: with an annular flange al', Swhich projects into the' body of the ywhich is secured to the bottom bvof Vthe carv carbid-holder, which is adapted to contain; any 'desired quantity of carbid :or other solid vice onto which small quantities of carbid,

taken from the carbid 'holder proper, are automatically discharged from time .to time as the process of generation is carried on'. This vcarbid-holder preferably consistsof-an inextensiblei vessel of somewhat smaller diameter 'than the receptacle A, so that when placed within the receptacle yan annular space ais left between them. The carbid-holder is movrestricted gas-outlet b, with which] communicates a flexible tube C, through which lthe gas -i s led olf, and it has a bottom which is closed save for means for admitting to its interior a limited'quantity of water. Preferably the top of the carbid-holder consists of a cap D,'which' rests upon the top of the side Walls through the mediumof anelastic packing d, the cap holder.' The cap is preferably held down gasn vtight by means of a rod E, the lower end of bid-holder, whenceit extendsupward through .an-opening in the capand receives a nut F, Figure l Isasectlonal elevation of an appathe upper end'of the rod and nut being screwthreaded. Y r' Instead of the above-described arrangement 'for'holding the capgas-tight, any other suitable 'arrangment may beA used. In Fig. 3 I 'have shownfit as being provided with a thready r v 'ed flange d? engagingncorresponding threads A represents a receptacle adapted to containl 40 the Water or other liquid gas-producing subvon the body 'of theholderx- 4 Preferably the' carbidholder i's inade'of metal, and for the admission of water 'to its interior the bottom b is provided with one o r. "more restricted openings b2, so that 'when' the receptacle A is' filled with water to the proper l level-and the carbid-holder is inserted in the receptacle, so as to be submerged in the ywater to a greater or less depth, therewill bein the space a a hydrostatic column. tendingv to forcethe water into the carbid-holder through the-opening b2.

I desi-re to have it under- IOO stood, however, that the invention is not limited tothe material of which the carbid -holder is made, so long as it is capable of confining gas under pressure suiicient for the purposes hereinbei'ore described or to the means for admitting the water toits interior further than that it should be of such character that water will tend to enter it when submerged. I have obtained good results by the use of a carbid-holder made of porous material and Without any perforations in the bottom, as shown in Fig. 3. Excepting for the restricted inlet for water the carbid-holder and waterreceptacle are without internal communication with each other, and this distinguishes the apparatus from that class of apparatus in which the gas upon leaving the generating-chamber is conducted into the bell -oi' a gasometer by which the carbid-holder is supported, the bottom of the bell being sealed by the water in the Water-receptacle.

It is clear that when the carbid-holder containing a quantity of carbid and closed at top, except for the gas-outlet, is submerged in water the gas generated within it will have a pressure substantially proportional to the height of thev hydrostatic column in the annular space a. It follows, therefore, that if the carbid-holder and receptacle A were to remain in unchanged relations to each other as the generation of gas proceedsthe height of the hydrostatic column would diminish and the pressure of the 'gas within the carbidholder would correspondingly diminish. To prevent this, I provide the lapparatus with means for maintainingjthe hydrostatic column at the same height,'or practically so, regardless of the depth of the water or its surfacelevel in the receptacle A, The preferred means for accomplishing this is a weight' G, supported by a lever H upon one side ot' its fulcrum I, the carbid-holder being attached to the lever upon the other side of its fulcrum. This attachment may be accomplish-ed by perforating the nut Fand the lever H and passing a pin /L through the perforations, the pin being easily removable in order to enable the lever tobe detached fromthe nut when it is desired to remove the latter. -The weight G is adjustably secured upon the lever by some suitable means-as, for example, aset-screw g-so that within certain prescribed limits it is possible to obtain any desired lifting effect upon the carbid-holder. Preferably it is so adjusted that itvcounterbalances the weight of the vuncharged carbid-holder, so that when the holder is charged and in position, as shown in Fig. l, the hydrostatic column will be in proportion to the Weight of the contents ofthe holder. With the apparatus thus adjusted and charged as the generation of gas proceeds the level oi' the water in the receptacle A will gradually fall, and the carbid-holder, being yieldingly supported partly by the counterbalanceweight and partly by its buoyancy, will fall with it, so that notwithstanding these changes in the relations of the parts the bottom of the carbid -holder will be kept constantly submerged, and the height of the hydrostatic column, which determines the pressure of the gas, will remain practically constant. It is true that as the genelation proceeds the qualitity oi' water in the residue within the carbidholder (the bottom of the carbid-holder being open to the admission of water, but not to the escape of the residue) will gradually increase and somewhat increase the weight of the contents oi' the carbid holder, thereby correspondingly increasing the height of the hydrostatic column; but this is not only not objectionable, but, on the contrary, desirable, because the moist residue will tend to retard the upward flow of the water to the dry carbid, and hence a corresponding increase in the pressure of the water is necessary in order to maintain the uniformity in the pressure oi' the gas.

Instead of using a weight 1 may yieldingly support the carbid-holder by means oi a spring G', placed within the receptacle A. In this case the carbid-holder is provided with wings 3 for preventing it from tipping.

Where the apparatus is used on a portable conveyance-such as a vehicle, locomotive, or railway-car--the water in the receptacle A will be more or less agitated, and in 'order to prevent it from disturbing the position of the carbid-holder I provide means for retarding the up-and-down movement of the latter. This means may consist of a flange K, carried by the carbid-holder and nearly equal in diameter to the internal diameter oi' the receptacle A, leaving between them only a small annular space through which the water can pass. This will act like a dash-pot and positively prevent disturbing the relations of the parts under the conditions named.

It is to be understood that the terms water and A"carbid as used in this speciiication are intended to include, respectively, any liquid and solid gas-producing substances which when introduced will generate gas.

The apparatus which forms the subject of the present application does not belong to that class in which a carbid-holder consisting or' an open basket or similar receptacle is contained within a float, which is completely open at bottom and dips into a body oi water so that the float will rise and fallas the pressure within itincreases and decreases and in doing iso-alternately lift the carbid-holder entirely above the surface of the water and lower it so that it will be submerged to a greater or less extent. In the apparatus which forms the subject of the present application the spring or weight produces an invariable upward pressure upon the carbid-holder, whereby it is yieldingly supported with its bottoni lOO (meaning thereby the support for the body of carbid) constantly submerged to such a depth that the level of the water will be above the level of the area of reaction, (meaning thereby'v the area or region throughout which the damp residue and'dry carbid have contact with each other andy at which the generation principally l takes place,) sothat said holder being closed attop, savefor a gas-outlet, and also at bottom, save for the restricted inlet, the pres-1 holder located'within and movable bodily relatively to 'the water-receptacle,and means for exerting an invariable upward pressure upon,

,r said carbid-holder whereby it is. yieldingly supported with its bottom constantly submerged in the water contained. in the waterreceptacle and is allowed to fall as the level of the water falls, said carbid-holder having an outlet for gasV and a submerged restricted inlet for-water, said water-receptacle and carbid-holder being without internal' communication excepting through saidinle't, substantially as described.

2. In anapparatus for generating gas, the' combination of a receptacle for water, a carbid-holder located within and movable bodily` relatively to the water-receptacle and means for eXertingran invariable upward pressureuponsaid carbid-holder whereby it is yieldingly supported withv its bottom constantly submerged in thewater contained in the waterreceptacle 'and is allowed to fall as the level of the water falls, said carbid-,holder being gastight save for anoutlet for gas and a submerged restricted inlet for the Water, the water-receptacle.k and carbidholder beingv Withoutinterr'lal communication excepting through said inlet, substantially as described.

3, In anapparatus for generating gas, the combination-of a receptacle for water, an inextensible carbid-holder adapted to contain a full charge of carbid, said carbid-holder being within the Water-receptacle and movable relatively thereto` means for yieldingly supportv ing the 'carbid -Aholder with its bottom constantly submerged in the water contained'in thewater-receptacle, said carbid-.holder having ar restricted outlet for gas and having means for admitting water through its submerged portion and being adapted to coniine substantially as set forth.

gas under sulicient pressure to regulate the admission of water to its interior and thereby maintain a hydrostatic column outside of it 4. In an apparatusfor generating gas, the A,

combination of a receptacle for water, a carbid-holder adapted to containa'full charge of carbid, said carbid-holder being within the water-receptacle and movable relatively thereto, and means for yieldingly counterbalancing the uncharged carbid holder, said carbidholder having a restricted outlet for gas and i having means forV admitting water through its submerged portion, and being otherwise gas-tight, whereby its buoyancy sustains the weight of the charge of carbid substantially as described. v j

5. In an apparatus for generating gas, the combination of a receptacle for water, open to atmosphere whereby atmospheric pressure is maintained within it, a carbid-holder adapted to contain a full charge of carbid, said carbidholder being within the water-receptacle and movable relatively thereto, and means for yieldingly supporting thecarbid-'holder with its bottom constantly submerged in the water .contained -in the water-receptacle, said carbidholder` having a restricted outlet for gas and Y' having means for ad mitting/water through its submerged portion and being adapted to conne gas under pressure whereby its buoyancy assists in yieldingly supporting it andwhereby the pressure of the gas within it regulates the admission ofwater toits interior and maintains a hydrostatic'column outside of it substantiallyas described. y f A.

6. In an-apparatus for generating gas, the combination of a receptacle for water, a carbid-holdertherein, means for yieldingly supporting said holder with its lower portion constantly submerged, and a device operating after the manner of a dash-pot, for preventing the sudden movement of the holder, substantially as described. v

7. In an apparatus for generating gas, the combination of a receptacle for water, a carbid-holder therein` means for yieldingly supporting said carbid-holder with its lower por- A tion constantly submerged, and a langecarried by the Vcarbid-holder and extending to ter-receptacle, substantially as described.

vwithin a shortdistance of the wall of the wa- 8. In an apparatus for generating gas, the v combination of a receptacle for water, a car.-

bid-holder adapted to contain a full charge ofl carbid, said carbid-holder being within Athe water-receptacle and movable relatively thereto, and a weight for yieldingly supporting the uncharged.carbid-holder, the carbid.- holder y having a restricted outlet for gas and being adapted to `conne gas under the pressure whereby its buoyancy will support the weight of the charge of carbid and whereby the carbidholderfwill be yieldingly supported with its bottom constantly submerged in the water in .the receptacle, the carbid-holder being provided with means for admitting water through its submerged portion substantially as .det scribed.l r

9. In an' apparatus for generating gas, the combination of a receptacle for Water, a buoyant carbid-holder adapted to contain :L 'full charge of carbid, said carbid-holder being Within the receptacle and rnovablerelatively lhereto and having means for maintaining upon the outside of it and within the Waterreceptacle a hydrostatic column extending above the level of the area of reaction, and

ineens additional toits buoyancy for yield- IO ingly supporting it and allowing it to full :1s the level ofthe waterfalls, substantially as described.

PERCY C. AVERY.

Witnesses:

L. M. HOPKINS, B. C. SIMS. 

